Dashing Towards

As I was reading through the Old Testament the other day, a word grabbed my attention several times. Often, as I am pouring through scripture, when this happens, I want to look a little closer because there is an increased probability that God wants to show me something.
The phrase that jumped out at me is “The Spirit Rushed.” It is found at least six times in the books of Judges and Samuel to accomplish, through leaders, what God wants to get done. The Hebrew translation of this word can be better translated as “invade,” it presents some beautiful insight into how God uses His Holy Spirit. I like to imagine that one of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to act as a kind of 911 responder who rushes to invade our struggle and aids us in our times of need. I don’t like to do anything in a rush, although I find myself having to a lot of the time. There is great comfort in knowing that we can call out to God, and He will rush His Holy Spirit to us.

It appears that there are four things that this 911 call to the Holy Spirit can do…

1 The Spirit rushes to provide strength.
This is precisely how it worked with Samson. Whether he was facing a roaring lion (Judges 14:6), preparing for battle (Judges 14:19), or seeking liberation (Judges 15:14), the Spirit rushed upon him, endowing him with supernatural strength. This is akin to the superhuman strength that parents develop when their children are in crisis. God, in His infinite mercy, rushes His Spirit to us, empowering us with a strength that surpasses our own.

2 The Spirit rushes to speak the word of God through us.
God had given Samuel a new heart through which Samuel could serve. Part of the design of this heart was that it was attuned to speak on behalf of God. As Samuel met up with others of a similar heart, the Holy Spirit rushed into their meeting (1 Samuel 10:10), and they began to speak God's word and promises boldly. His prophesying brought people to God and also established credibility for Samuel. Next time you are lost for words, ask the Holy Spirit to rush upon you.

3 The Spirit rushes to make us angry about unrighteousness.
In 1 Samuel 11:6, Saul had become fed up with the selfish and violent bickering of the people around him. When he heard they were weeping in self-pity again, the Spirit rushed upon him to “kindle his anger.” His anger challenged the people to get over themselves and to serve God. One of the things that God wants to do today is to rush his Spirit into our apathy so that we can stand against selfishness, pride, and injustice. I can think of numerous times in my life when this has happened to me. If we want to change the world, I pray it will also happen to you.

4 The Spirit rushes to anoint us to do what God has called us.
As David began his ministry, Samuel took some oil (1 Sam 16:13) and anointed David as King of Israel. As the anointing oil trickled down his head, the Holy Spirit rushed upon him and remained with him from that day forward. Shortly after this rushed arrival, David took on and defeated the mighty Goliath, the pivotal moment that established David’s leadership. In the same way today, God’s Holy Spirit wants to rush to your side and help you establish what God has called you to do.

There is a song we used to sing in Church. The lyrics say of God, “He’s never early, and he’s never late.” God’s timing is always perfect. I pray that when you need strength to sustain, words to say, passion to address, or power to fulfill, God’s Holy Spirit will rush to you and invade your situation.

Holy Spirit, rush upon us again today!